Source: Archive.indystar.comBy Ryan SabalowWhen it comes to poaching cases and wildlife crimes, Indianapolis’ near southside and the city’s airport aren’t exactly the first places that come to mind.But on Sunday, Indiana conservation officers and city police found themselves chasing a suspect across icy streets near the heart of the city as part of a poaching investigation that originated on airport land.It wasn’t as if poachers were prowling the runways.The Indianapolis Airport Authority has about 1,200 acres of forested land locked up in conservation areas that also serve as noise buffer zones.“We call it kind of a no man’s land,” said Jet Quillen, an Indiana conservation officer. “It’s really good deer habitat, so people sneak out there and try to hunt.”But hunting on airport land is strictly off limits. Quillen said the case began on Nov. 16, opening day of Indiana’s firearms deer-hunting season.Hoping to catch a poacher in the act, Quillen said, he and another conservation officer hunkered down in the dark off a dead end road on airport property near Interstate 70 and Ronald Regan Parkway, several miles from the airport.They were soon startled when a gun roared just a few hundred yards from them.“It kind of spooked us a little bit because it was dark and quiet and all the sudden you hear a shotgun blast,” Quillen said.The noise helped lead the officers to the alleged shooter, 21-year-old Timothy Hall Jr., Indianapolis, and Richard Burchfield, Hall’s uncle.Quillen said Hall told conservation officers he’d shot a deer with buckshot, which is illegal in Indiana. More....

(Huntington) Indiana Conservation Officers cited two Alexandria men for numerous wildlife violations on Saturday December 14th.

Conservation Officers received a TIP complaint on December 1st about several individuals in a truck shooting deer from the roadway inside Lost Bridge West, Salamonie Reservoir. Officers were able to collect evidence at the scene indicating wildlife violations had occurred.

On December 15th, Conservation Officers located a vehicle matching the description of the vehicle given in the TIP complaint in the same area. Officers made contact with the driver of the vehicle Mark Goins, 36, of Alexandria. Goins admitted his involvement in the wildlife crimes and implicated Bobby Tucker, 35, of Alexandria, in the crimes. Officers spoke with Tucker and he admitted his involvement in the crimes.

All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law

The TIP (Turn In A Poacher) program offer cash rewards for information leading to the arrest of either wildlife violators or persons involved in an environmental crime such as polluting. Callers can remain anonymous if they wish. You can become a deterrent to poaching by calling the TIP hotline at 1-800-TIP-IDNR (1-800-847-4367) or online at www.TIP.in.gov.

Source: WVdnr.govPress ReleaseDavid C. Matton, a resident of Windsor, Ontario, paid more than $2,200 in fines after being charged by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Environment Canada for violations of regulations protecting turtles. Matton purchased wood turtles in West Virginia and transported them in foreign commerce in violation of the Lacey Act. In addition, he exported turtles into Canada without the necessary declarations and Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) permits. The investigation was conducted by the Service Office of Law Enforcement in conjunction with the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and Environment Canada. The investigation took place from 2009 to 2013, and the U.S. fines were paid in November 2013. Wood turtles occur in West Virginia and the northeastern United States and there is concern about them among wildlife biologists due to population declines. Wood turtles are listed as Appendix II to CITES and are considered Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Investigators determined that Matton had traveled to West Virginia and other states where he unlawfully captured turtles from the wild, including box turtles and a gopher tortoise, for his personal collection. Matton also unlawfully purchased wood turtles from a covert agent and transported them back to Ontario. During the investigation, Matton told a covert agent he had captured 15 box turtles in two hours in the state of Indiana. Environment Canada is considering additional charges regarding Matton’s alleged unlawful activities. The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources has established reptile and amphibian regulations that make it unlawful to possess certain reptiles and amphibians and places restrictions on the transportation of the more common reptiles and amphibians and also the taking and possession of reptiles and amphibians by non-residents of West Virginia.

Source: Goshennews.comLaGrange County police arrested two men following a traffic stop Saturday night in LaGrange County.

According to police, a Department of Natural Resources officer made a traffic stop after noticing a black 1990 Chevrolet S-10 truck spotlighting deer on C.R. 125 East north of C.R. 700 North near Howe and that the vehicle had an expired license plate.

During the stop, officers reportedly found a hypodermic needle and methamphetamine precursors, as well as a handheld spotlight, two meth labs and three firearms, as well as eight grams of meth.

Roderick E. Barnell Jr., of Vicksburg, Mich., was arrested on charges of possession of meth with a firearm, manufacturing meth, possession of a drug precursor, maintaining a common nuisance, unlawful possession of a hypodermic needle and use of artificial lights while in possession of a firearm. David C. Shaffer, Howe, was arrested on charges of visiting a common nuisance and use of artificial lights while in possession of a firearm.

Source: Ozarkcountytimes.com The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today designated the Ozark hellbender as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) and also finalized its decision to list the Ozark and eastern hellbender in Appendix III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). In combination, these listings will provide significant protection to hellbenders, both domestically and internationally. Under the ESA, an endangered species is any species which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. The Ozark hellbender, which grows to lengths up to 2 feet, inhabits the White River system in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. Ozark hellbender populations have declined an estimated 75 percent since the 1980s, with only about 590 individuals remaining in the wild. It is believed numbers have dropped because of degraded water quality, habitat loss resulting from impoundments, ore and gravel mining, sedimentation , and collection for the pet trade. Also threatening the Ozark hellbender is a fungal disease, chytridiomycosis (chytrid), and severe physical abnormalities (e.g., lesions, digit and appendage loss, epidermal sloughing) which most Ozark hellbenders exhibit. In addition, the average age of Ozark hellbender populations is increasing and few young are being found, indicating problems with reproduction or juvenile survival. This, and the multiple threats from disease and habitat degradation, could lead to extinction of the Ozark hellbender within 20 years. "The Ozark hellbender faces extinction without the protection afforded by the Endangered Species Act," said Tom Melius, the Service's Midwest Regional Director. "Listing provides tools and an infrastructure within which partners can pool resources and expertise to help save this species." The Service determined that designating critical habitat under the ESA for the Ozark hellbender is not prudent because the designation would require publication of detailed descriptions of hellbender locations and habitat, making illegal collection for the pet trade more likely. More....

The recent poaching arrest of four men from South Carolina by Colorado Parks and Wildlife has prompted public discussion and debate about the importance of ethical hunting. It also illustrates how seriously the agency, law-abiding hunters and many residents of the state take illegal wildlife activity. After a lengthy investigation by state and federal wildlife officials, George Plummer, Michael Courtney, Joseph Nevling and James Cole were arrested Sept. 7 near Collbran for suspicion of violating a variety of wildlife laws including using a powerful toxin attached to their arrows, hunting after legal hours, using bow-mounted electronic or battery-powered devices and hunting bear, deer and elk over bait. "In Colorado, wildlife regulations exist for three main reasons," said Northwest Regional Manager Ron Velarde. "There are biological reasons, safety reasons and 'fair chase' considerations. The use of poisons or toxicants to hunt is a very unethical method of hunting, violating the tenets of fair chase and can also be very dangerous to the user." Velarde adds that the use of poisons and toxicants allows an individual to take an irresponsible shot, relying on the effects of the drugs to kill the animal rather than skill, patience, discipline and a well-placed shot. During the course of the yearlong investigation, the four men were placed under surveillance by investigators from Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Because of the overwhelming amount of incriminating evidence investigators gathered, the four men quickly pleaded guilty to the illegal activity. Plummer, who is considered the leader of the group, admitted to officers that he had used poisoned arrows in Colorado for the past twenty years while fully aware that it is illegal in this state.The four accepted a plea bargain and agreed to pay over $10,000 in fines for the use of the toxicant and for illegal possession of big game. They forfeited all evidence seized in the case, including four Mathews compound bows, arrows and quivers, an ATV, night vision goggles, flashlights mounted on their bows, coolers containing game meat, animal hides, the poison and the arrow-mounted pods used to inject the drug into the elk, deer and bear they killed. More....

A new report by the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) identifies the nation’s top 10 amphibians and reptiles in need of immediate federal protection to stave off extinction. The list includes a yellow-legged frog from California’s high Sierras, a two-foot-long eastern salamander and a colorful northeastern turtle.

The report, Dying for Protection: The 10 Most Vulnerable, Least Protected Amphibians and Reptiles in the United States, details the population declines and ongoing threats that have left once-common species like the western pond turtle and boreal toad spiraling toward extinction. “These increasingly rare frogs, salamanders and turtles are on the fast track toward extinction if we don’t step up and rescue them,” said Collette Adkins Giese, a CBD lawyer and biologist who specializes in conserving amphibians and reptiles. “And it’s not just about protecting these irreplaceable amphibians and reptiles; it’s about protecting the health of the priceless environment we share with them.” Some of the species included in the report have lost more than 90 percent of their habitat and, without Endangered Species Act protection, many will continue to decline due to fragmentation of their declining populations, pesticide pollution, killer diseases and over-collection. Scientists now estimate that one in four of the nation’s amphibians and reptiles are at risk of extinction, yet they make up only 61 of the approximately 1,400 U.S. species protected under the Endangered Species Act. Last year the CBD and several internationally renowned conservation scientists, including E.O. Wilson and Thomas Lovejoy, filed a petition seeking Endangered Species Act protection for 53 of the nation’s most threatened species of amphibians and reptiles. In 2011 the CBD signed a landmark settlement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that is speeding protection decisions for 757 species, including dozens of amphibians and reptiles. More....

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finalized Endangered Species Act protection today for two freshwater mussels, following a 2011 agreement with the Center for Biological Diversity to speed protection decisions for 757 imperiled species nationwide. The Neosho mucket mussel, which occurs in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma, was listed as endangered, while the rabbitsfoot mussel, which occurs in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee, was listed as threatened.

“What a relief that these two unique mussels and the rivers they need to survive are finally getting protection,” said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center. “Saving these two mussels will mean cleaning up rivers that we all need for drinking, fishing and swimming.” The Neosho mucket and rabbitsfoot mussels live on the bottom of streams and rivers and have suffered drastic declines because of water pollution and dams. Mussels reproduce by making a lure that looks like a young fish; when larger fish try to prey on the lure, the mussels release their fertilized eggs onto the fish’s gills. In dirty water the fish cannot see the mussel’s lure, so the mussel can’t reproduce. Under the settlement agreement with the Center, 107 species have been protected so far, including the two mussels protected today, and another 61 have been proposed for protection. The Fish and Wildlife Service has also proposed to protect 2,138 miles of critical habitat for the two mussels, which it says will be finalized in the near future. More....

Nestled just two hours east of Lake County, Black Pine Animal Sanctuary in Albion, Indiana, offers a permanent home to nearly 100 exotic animals.The sanctuary is home to nine tigers and six black bears, as well as dozens of other animals that were born in captivity and products of the exotic animal trade, said Lori Gagen, executive of the Black Pine Animal Sanctuary.The sanctuary was first opened to the public in 1995 and moved to its new, larger home in 2006. It is regularly opened to the public for guided tours.Not only does Black Pine provide a permanent home to animals who were rescued displaced from their previous homes, it also educates people about responsible pet ownership, Gagen said.The exotic pet trade is a $10 billion a year industry in the United States, Gagen said, and the animals get poached, smuggled and auctioned off as pets.“A large number of those animals wind up growing too large, too dangerous or too expensive to be kept and are surrendered or confiscated and moved to sanctuaries like Black Pine,” she said. “In addition to giving these animals safe and permanent refuge, we aim to help educate the public about the plight of these animals, the overpopulation of captive exotics and the lack of laws to protect both the animals and their welfare, as well as public safety.”In addition to the tigers and bears, visitors can expect to see leopards, lions, cougars, wolves, monkeys and reptiles.“(We) require all visitors respect (our) rules that exist to help ensure the animals remain comfortable, relaxed and content,” she said. Teasing the animals, loud voices, or running are not permitted inside the sanctuary. More....

Source: Articles.SouthBendtribune.comBy Jeff HarrellA man suspected in the case of a pet emu beaten to death in October may not be charged in that case yet, but the investigation has led to other charges.The Indiana Department of Natural Resources, prompted by social media accounts, investigated possible poaching.That investigation led New Carlisle police to look at two men suspected of beating Jean Wolf's pet emu, Andy, to death.The DNR asked the St. Joseph County prosecutor's office to charge one of the men with illegally killing a deer.Prosecutors are reviewing possible charges against a 21-year-old New Carlisle man whose name is withheld due to the pending investigation in New Carlisle and Berrien County surrounding Andy's death.That man appeared in St. Joseph Superior Court this week to face charges of criminal conversion stemming from the March 2011 thefts of a hand-carved wooden statue from a home outside New Carlise along with several stop signs and trash cans from nearby locations.The Class A misdemeanor criminal conversion charges were triggered after witnesses came forward to police investigating the pet emu's death, New Carlisle Police Chief Jeffrey Roseboom said.Meanwhile, as St. Joseph County prosecutors weigh the DNR charges, Berrien County prosecutors continue to wait for more information from Michigan State Police looking into Andy's death.Michigan prosecutors hold jurisdiction in the matter because the emu's beating death is being investigated by state police as occurring on Jean Wolf's farm near Buchanan. More....